Short, Vigorous Bursts of Activity May Lower Your Cancer Risk, Study Finds

Doing everyday activities at slightly higher intensity levels may lower your risk of cancer, a new study finds.

According to the new research, published earlier this month in JAMA Oncology, upping the intensity of everyday activities could potentially lower someone's cancer risk by as much as 32%.

Known as VILPA, or non-exercise vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity, this kind of movement includes activities that often naturally occur, like carrying heavy grocery bags, playing tag with your kids, or taking the stairs.

Researchers found that doing these activities at a slightly higher intensity in short bursts—about one minute at a time—throughout the day significantly reduced cancer risk. 

“Any activity a person does during their everyday life has the potential to become VILPA, if they do the activity at a higher intensity than normal for short bursts of time,” said Matthew Ahmadi, one of the study's researchers and a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Sydney
Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Health Sciences.

“This makes it much more feasible for people to engage in VILPA because they do not need to do it for prolonged, continuous bouts," Ahmadi said. "The accumulation of short VILPA bursts throughout the day will add up.”

Small Movements Are Better Than No Movement

To understand how VILPA impacted cancer risk, the research team out of Australia analyzed health data from more than 22,000 adults in the U.K. The average participant age was 62 years old and all participants indicated that they did not exercise.

While taking part in the study, the participants wore activity trackers on their wrists. The researchers then looked at cancer-related diagnoses, hospitalizations, and deaths over a period of several years.

They discovered that those who participated in VILPA for an average of four and a half minutes per day had a 32% reduced risk of cancer in cancers that are impacted by physical activity like breast cancer, colon cancer, and endometrial cancer.

"Even though study participants were not doing any structured exercise, about 94% recorded some [VILPA] and 92% was done in very short bursts lasting up to one minute," Ahmadi said.

He explained that the minimum dose of VILPA was about three and a half minutes per day. This was associated with a 17-18% reduction in cancer risk when compared to people who participated in no activity throughout their day.

According to Ahmadi, some plausible biological pathways could explain these results. Previous, early-stage trials had shown that VILPA can lead to rapid improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness.

"Cardiorespiratory fitness, in turn, is linked to less insulin resistance and chronic inflammation—both of which are major risk factors for cancer," he said. In fact, studies have shown poor fitness is directly associated with higher insulin resistance in both women and men.

The research team initiated this VILPA-focused research because there is very little scientific information on incidental physical activity and major health, including cancer. Additionally, vigorous and intense activity has many practical advantages and it is time efficient, Ahmadi said.

"The large majority of middle-aged and older adults—more than 70% to 80% in most countries—are not regular exercisers in leisure time, or simply never do any exercise," he said. "For this reason, we need to better understand how people can benefit from incidental or lifestyle physical activity that occurs during daily routines."

Previous Studies Support the Idea That Short Movements Are Beneficial

A study that appeared in the European Heart Journal last year found similar results—that short bursts of activity could impact longevity and reduce disease risks.

In this study, researchers looked at almost 72,000 adults around the age of 62 who were free of cardiovascular disease or cancer. What they discovered is that two-minute bursts of vigorous activity totaling 15 minutes a week are associated with a reduced risk of death.

Another study found that as few as 11 minutes of daily exercise can substantially reduce a person's risk of early death. It can also help prevent heart disease, stroke, and some cancers, in comparison to being sedentary.

"I have long said, based on my opinion from what I could ascertain from literature, pulsed moments of cardiovascular exercise...during the day, could debatably be better than two to three days of 45 minutes of intense exercise," Sanjay Juneja, MD, a triple board-certified hematologist and medical oncologist at Mary Bird Cancer Center told Health.

It is not so much the fat burning with exercise that matters, but instead, the act of getting your body working that improves your immune system.

"Blood circulates better to areas that may be more or less idle," he said. "Lymph fluid that has toxins gets mobilized [and] your glucose-insulin-glucagon axis gets a workout, which helps with glucose regulation and storage."

The Importance of Exercise for Cancer Prevention

While this most recent study was purely observational and was not designed to directly explore cause and effect, it is still in line with findings from other research that supports the notion that exercise is an important component of cancer prevention.

"One of the most important things someone can do to help them feel more empowered, improve their quality of life, and reduce their cancer risk is exercise," said Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACS, a board-certified, fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist and medical director at Grand View Health/Penn Cancer Network Cancer Program.

"For those who are at elevated risk, studies show that exercise can decrease that risk for the development of cancer during their lifetime," she said.

Exercise also contributes to overall wellness through the reduction of certain hormones that promote cancer growth, as well as the release of endorphins and anti-inflammatory substrates.

"[Meanwhile], a lack of exercise can be a key contributor to cancer risk, through the development of obesity, elevated stress levels, endogenous hormone production, and other factors, which exercise can help mitigate," Gary said.

According to Roberto Benzo, PhD, a cancer control researcher with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, exercise also has a number of biological effects on the body that have been associated with cancer development and progression.

Of note, is the fact that exercise can lower the levels of sex hormones and growth factors and prevents high levels of insulin—both of which have been linked to breast and colon cancer.

Exercise also reduces inflammation, improves the immune system, and alters the metabolism of bile acids, Benzo said. It also helps prevent obesity, which is a risk factor for 13 types of cancers.

Adding VILPA to Your Daily Routine

The key to VILPA is the intensity. You want to get your heart rate up and sustain the activity for around one minute or more.

Juneja explained that the heart rate associated with "super intense activity" is generally your age minus 220.

"So, if you're 40, healthy, intense exercise would be a heart rate of 180. This number, however, is for the very determined," he said. "Even hitting that 120 to 150 mark is certainly beneficial."

You also can try taking the stairs or parking farther away than usual and jogging to the store, Benzo said. "Wear athletic clothing if possible—this will make it easier to engage in higher-intensity activities. [Also], look for opportunities at home, work, or during play."

Liudmila Schafer, MD, FACP, a medical oncologist, suggested activities like carrying heavy grocery bags, participating in gardening tasks like digging, raking, or mowing the lawn, and performing strenuous household chores like scrubbing floors or washing windows to mee your quota of VILPA.

You also can opt for low-impact VILPA activities and perform multiple repetitions, Gary said. Arm circles, raised leg circles, or walking in place can all be done easily and as part of your otherwise normal routine—you can even do these activities as you watch television.

"When you link exercise to more pleasurable activities that are typically sedentary like watching television, it helps to shift your mindset from considering exercise as work to thinking of movement as a component of leisure, which helps with adoption and consistency," she said.

Gary also encourages the use of fitness trackers and wearables so that you can not only stay on track but also have metrics that can guide your goals and track your progress.

"By being mindful of cancer risk factors, and how exercise plays a role in risk mitigation, it can also help us to manage other chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and hypertension," she said. "The rising tide truly lifts all boats!"